The Moral Sense
by Antony-of-Rome
Summary: There appears a stranger who brings hope and miracles, and cannot sin. Yet, and Shinji draws himself closer to Tabris, the bonds that hold him to the rest of the world begin to fray. As the inevitable apocalypse grows closer each day, it becomes clear only divine intervention can help, but whether and how Angels choose to meddle in human affairs all depends on Shinji Ikari.


Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, author of the Evangelion manga, once pointed to Mark Twain's novella The Mysterious Stranger and indicated it to be the source material for episode 24. It seems like a very logical leap to assume that, were Kaworu more fleshed out in his original series appearance, he would prove to be very similar to the character in Twain's story. This is an interpretation I have never seen explored in fanfiction, though the parallels are fascinating, and the later implications somewhat disturbing.

Think of this timeline as an alternate universe, beginning at the point in Eva where things have just begun to turn for the worse.

Whatever this story becomes, it is first and foremost an exploration of "what if," a reality separate from the series itself that could as easily be close to the original intentions of Anno and Sadamoto as it could be an off-mark deconstruction of some central characters' implications and relationships.

I wonder.

* * *

He wondered.

There was a lot of wondering do do at NERV; enough questions to fill a novel and as many mysteries to be solved as could ever occur to a young boy. Or, indeed, as could occur to anybody with an inkling of thought and curiosity. The boy who wondered and wandered on the crater's shore, however, was a young boy. His name was Shinji Ikari, and though he was timid, melancholic, and lonely, he lacked neither thoughtfulness nor curiosity.

Shinji Ikari created the shore he walked upon. He could reach back into his memories and feel his foot stomping into the hard earth while fighting, cracking it open, and the enemy falling and cracking it more, until he cracked open the enemy itself with the world's great weapon, the Evangelion.

Pausing to look at the setting sun, he wondered if he could be considered creator of the crater lake at all. He had never determined whether the great robotic giant he fought in had a life or will of its own. Maybe Eva controlled him.

That thought was comforting, in a way, though he could not have said why.

"Have you ever thought that you might like being controlled?"

Shinji's eyes flinched to the direction on the intrusive voice, but he found the rest of his body frozen in... something. It was not the freeze of fear to which he had so grown accustomed.

The source was a figure who stood to his left, hands in his pockets, staring as serenely and intently at the sun as Shinji himself had been. He was far enough away that any bystanders would not assume the two sunset watchers knew each other, but close enough that Shinji was shocked he felt no sign of another presence. For all the suddenness with which he appeared to Shinji, he projected an aura of almost eternalness, like a standing Roman sculpture whose stony curves undulated with vivacity while remaining perfectly immobile and inhuman for centuries.

Not a muscle beyond what was necessary moved when he spoke again, "Did you hear me?" Shinji glanced around in search of nearby others, The only individuals in the vicinity, however, remain himself, the stranger, and the sun. Finally growing aware of the expanse of silence he had caused between them, Shinji opened his mouth to speak, but found himself cut off as the other turned to him, smiling, and began to approach.

It was difficult to accurately see much of the other in the sunset's unusual light, and Shinji quickly found himself wondering whether the stranger was in fact so harsh-lined and angular in feature or whether the shadows were playing with his vision, or what tone of color actually was his light hair, momentarily dyed a shades of honey by the sun's dying rays. The only definitive detail, and the one that filled the majority of Shinji's observation, was the strangers dark ruby eyes that did not blink but expressed depths of serenity and awareness like none he had ever seen.

The stranger blinked as he opened his mouth again to speak, though it seemed to Shinji an emotion strangely deliberate. "You are the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, Shinji Ikari."

It was clearly a statement backed with certainty and thus required no confirmation, but he felt a powerful need to say something, anything really, to the other figure. "I am." Though there was no visible change in the other's expression or stance, Shinji felt himself pushed to continue speaking. "Uh, they told me that there was probably going to be a break in the fighting for a little while. So I'm here. Not testing." It suddenly dawned on him that the stranger appeared around his age. "And, um, you don't have to be so formal, please just call me Shinji." He politely bowed his head a little with this greeting. He flushed when he realized how he misspoke. _Ikari, I meant, you can just call me Ikari; I just met him, that was so stupid-_

"All right, I prefer 'Shinji.'" The stranger's warm and casual expression almost seemed as if it glowed, even in the dusk, a superfluous sun. "And I am Tabris."

"Tabris?" _An odd name_, he thought.

"I'm well aware it seems like an odd name to you. 'You' in the plural sense, your people as a whole..." He let his gaze drift away. Shinji felt a jolt as their eyes broke apart from each other. "If you speak of me to anyone, please let it be known that my name is Kaworu Nagisa. _You_ don't have to call me that, Shinji, of course."

"Of course.' _Wait, why 'of course?' _He did not realize it, but Shinji could not have disagreed with the stranger if he tried. There was an aura of charm about him, of blind reliability, as well as something he couldn't place, but which felt familiar to him and comforting.

Tabris sank elegantly down to the sand, crossing his legs casually. "You should sit. We have a lot to talk about."

He yearned to comply, but the more rational part of Shinji's mind had finally caught up with events of the last few minutes, and begged him to consider his situation. As one of only three pilots, the last frontier of humanity, he had to always consider his own safety and health, even in such seemingly innocent circumstances. The only time he allowed himself to take risks was in battle. Thus, awkwardly, he began his excuse to leave. "I'm- I'm sorry, Tabris. This is longer than I normally stay out, and I'm needed at NERV." Rather, his 'caretaker' needed him, he admitted. Shinji had a few domestic talents his housemates were glad to exploit, and dinner wasn't going to prepare itself. "I'll probably see you soon, anyway," he stammered, "and, uh, I barely even know you."

"The average human doesn't know much at all, I'm afraid," Tabris stated to the now-empty horizon. As if on cue, and evening breeze began to flutter through his light hair, lending him an air of dramatic pensiveness. "You, Shinji, know more than some, less than most, and vastly less than me- I do not mean to insult you, but I never lie, in fact I cannot- and in those very primal recesses of your mind you know this." He quickly turned his vision to Shinji, and, seeing the blankness on his audience's face, apparently decided further elaboration was necessary. "Some men claim that everything that needs to be known can be found in the Bible, or perhaps in _The Brothers Karamazov_. Perhaps, they think, in the Dead Sea Scrolls; I know a few of that sort, in fact. One would think an encyclopedia would be a far more logical choice for humanity's ultimate information repository, wouldn't you agree?" He punctuated the end his speech with a flutter of light childish laughter.

A light flush of embarrassment crept up Shinji's spine."I... don't understand what you're talking about."

That was, apparently, a flash of comedic brilliance to the mind of Tabris, who doubled over as his bell-like laughter rang down the beach. Shinji recognized the feeling of growing red all over, to such an extent that he hadn't felt since he was forced to wear his female co-pilot's uniform in an emergency. The stranger finally seemed to take note of Shinji's uneasiness, and wiped the beads of moisture from his eyes, smiling broadly and reassuringly at the other boy."No, no, don't fret, no one would expect you to. I certainly wouldn't. How unfair that would be! I'm afraid I've developed a nasty habit of talking at people rather than to them, but it isn't something so bothersome as to warrant putting effort towards changing it." In fact, it sounded to Shinji as if he were almost proud of it.

"I'm sorry," the stranger continued as he straightened his posture, "I've gotten all off track. What I mean to say, in simplest terms, is that I can help you."

_Help me?_

"I know more about these events surrounding us now than anyone at your NERV."

"That's not possible! You've been no where near-"

"It's not only possible, but true." The corner of his mouth turned up in an expression on confidence. "I could not lie to you, Shinji." Though the way he spoke the name was intimate on the surface, it infected the remainder of his words with a condescending edge. "I could not lie to anyone. I know not, in fact, what it means to do so. It's quite a nasty trait, isn't it? Although I know _you,_ to be goodhearted, Shinji so perhaps your falsehoods-"

"I don't lie!" Though defending his honor should have come naturally, Shinji was surprised to find what a struggle it was to contradict the other, how much he wanted to hang on his every word and win favors. Maybe he spoke too soon- what if Tabris was insulted? What if he stood, walked away, and left him there? The thought was suddenly terrifying to Shinji, who was about to fervently apologize when, somehow, Tabris was standing in front of him. Shinji saw no movement; it was as if he had never been sitting at all. Had he been sitting? No, Shinji began to think, he certainly hadn't. He was standing close to him all along, he must have been mistaken. Surely. He had always been this close, inches away, the most minute feature of his face plainly visible.

"People lie all the time, and to themselves most of all. But, like I mentioned, _I_ never lie. The Bible says lying is a sin, you know."

"I- I do know that. I've studied lots of religions, even the ones that aren't popular here. In Japan, I mean. Okay, not a lot, but I know the seven deadly sins. Virtues. Things."

"And I know absolutely naught of them. I think I would like you be your good influence, Shinji Ikari."

The boy bit his lip in consideration of the prospect. He had no reason to agree, and every reason to run away. Yet he found himself curious, enchanted even, in a way that reached beyond his logic and will to some deep primal recess of his being. And that being wanted so see more of this odd, and oddly beautiful, stranger. "You said you could help me." He wanted help. He so, _so_ badly wanted the help, the support, the very _presence_ that had been refused him by copilot, guardian, and father alike. They wanted him to make stronger choices? To grow his trust overnight? _It's as good a starting point as any, _he thought_, _and at that moment resolved to place his trust in Tabris.

On an unspoken signal, the perfect and pale boy grinned.

Shinji took a moment to recover from the rush of emotion that surged through him at the sight of that expression. He cleared his throat. "But the only thing I want to know is, how can you?"

Tabris shrugged. "It will all fall into place, really."

Silence. The last golden drop of sun rolled off the edge of the Earth as the two boys studied each other. Shinji was waiting for his reassurance, the confirmation of his hope. A blind man could see that the enemy was growing ever stronger as the mental health and constitution of all three pilots began to ebb. Asuka rejected him, Misato grew distant, Rei could not comprehend him, and his father was his father. But hope... hope for more than survival, for kinship and more, was alive inside Tabris.

"Things do tend to always work out when I intercede, you see. It's simply one of the many perks of being a higher level Angel."

* * *

Next Chapter:

What does it mean, to be Angelic?

Rei is a girl, far purer than any other.

Life is not the stuff of stardust.


End file.
